WO2021004609A1

WO2021004609A1 - Portable generator

Info

Publication number: WO2021004609A1
Application number: PCT/EP2019/068146
Authority: WO
Inventors: Samir BUFFKINS
Original assignee: Powerdroit Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2019-07-05
Filing date: 2019-07-05
Publication date: 2021-01-14

Abstract

The invention relates to a portable generator (1) comprising: - a movable rotor (31) comprising a shaft (4) and a plurality of permanent magnets and spacers positioned along a longitudinal direction of said shaft (4), wherein the permanent magnets are separated by spacers and wherein the permanent magnets and spacers are encompassed by a tube; and - a stator comprising a guiding tube encompassing the movable rotor (31), a plurality of coil bobbins attached at an outside of the guiding tube, wherein the coil bobbins are separated by laminated spacers and wherein the coil bobbins are wound with coils of magnetic wire.

Description

"Portable Generator"

The invention relates to a portable generator.

Many people in the world are without electricity that thus have to travel far distances to charge their electrical devices, e.g. their cell phones or mp3 players. Also, when people are travelling, it becomes difficult to charge their equipment when important calls or messages need to be sent or to be received.

The present invention addresses the problem of providing a portable generator which provides enough power to charge electrical devices at any place and at any time.

This problem is resolved according to the features of the claim 1.

This invention consequently relates to a portable generator comprising

- a movable rotor comprising a shaft and a plurality of permanent magnets positioned along the longitudinal direction of said shaft, wherein the permanent magnets are separated by spacers, wherein the permanent magnets and spacers form a magnet setup and wherein the permanent magnets and spacers are encompassed by a tube; and

- a stator comprising a guiding tube encompassing the movable rotor, a plurality of coil bobbins attached at and outside of the guiding tube, wherein the coil bobbins are separated by laminated spacers, wherein the coil bobbins are wound with coils of magnetic wire.

An advantage of this portable generator is that the rotor can be easily moved by a person in order to generate power. The guiding tube thereby serves as a guide for the rotor movement. Furthermore, the guiding tube serves as a fixture to attach the coil bobbins and the laminated spacers. The purpose of the laminated spacer on the guiding tube is to attract and enhance the magnetic flux over the coils. The coils are wound with magnetic wire of a certain thickness and length for the desired output, preferably 5 to 7 Watts. This generator provides enough power, i.e. between 10 mW and 10W, to charge electrical devices at any place and at any time. The wire thickness is approximately 0.8 mm (for 1.5 amps) and the length is around 15 m per coil to determine the resistance to obtain the desired 4.3 V output. It is to be understood, that the coils are all of the same size, i.e. the thickness and the length of the corresponding wires are the same.

In a special embodiment of the present invention there is provided a space between the stator and the rotor. Due to the space between the stator and the rotor, i.e. between the magnets and coils, the magnetic torque is reduced but is still high enough for the magnetic flux to interact and react with the coils.

In another embodiment the shaft is fixed with a first end to a body and possesses a first circlip, wherein a compressible spring element is provided between the first circlip and the body. One end of the spring element is tied down to the body and is locked into place with the first circlip once the assembly of the magnets and spacers is placed onto the shaft.

In a further embodiment the shaft comprises a thumb protector on a second end so that the rotor can be easily operated by a person.

According to another embodiment the coils are connected as a three-phase AC output to a first end and as a star connection to the second end of the generator. It is favourable that for every three coils there are three permanent magnets in alignment. Each coil with the interaction of the magnetic flux produces a sine wave with the movement of the magnets. In a three-phase power generating system, three conductors each carry an alternating current of the same frequency and voltage amplitude relative to a common reference but with a phase difference of one third of a cycle between each (120°, 240°, 360°). The common reference is connected to ground, i.e. to the star connection. Due to the phase difference, the voltage on any conductor reaches its peak at one third of a cycle after one of the other conductors and one third of a cycle before the remaining conductor. This phase delay gives constant power transfer to a balanced linear load.

Still, according to a further embodiment the portable generator comprises a protective housing. This housing encompasses the stator and the body. The housing comprises at least one plug in which an external electrical device can be plugged so that at least one electrical device can be charged at the same time. Preferably the housing comprises one or two plugs.

In a preferred embodiment an electronic component is provided in the body of the generator in order to keep the desired output constant and to not damage the external electronic devices which are to be loaded by the generator. The electronic component is not only for the electronic power regulation but also for a display function, which shows the voltage, power and charging capacity. The display is arranged at the outside of the housing.

It is also explicitly proposed to combine several features of the individual described embodiments with one another.

An embodiment example is depicting the figures and will be described in further detail in the following. In the drawing depict:

Figure 1 a portable generator;

Figures 2A to 2G a sectional breakdown of the portable generator;

Figure 3 a cross section A-A through the portable generator depict in figure 1 ;

Figures 4A to 4D a view of the rotor and stator alignment without a housing; Figure 5 coils which are connected as a three-phase AC output;

and

Figure 6 a shaft of the portable generator comprising circlips.

Figure 1 depicts a portable generator 1 which transforms kinetic energy into electrical energy. This generator 1 uses electromagnetic induction to capitalize on Faraday's Law. The generator 1 thereby provides a sustainable source of electricity without relying on energy from a power grid. The portable generator 1 is able to produce enough power to charge pocket-sized electronic devices, e.g. cell phones. The portable generator 1 has a protective housing 2 encompassing a stator and a movable rotor 31. At the outside of the protective housing 2 a display 3 is arranged, which shows the voltage, power and charging capacity, respectively.

The generator 1 comprises a shaft 4 which is arranged partly outside of the housing and which comprises a thumb protector 5. The shaft 4 is part of the movable rotor 31. By pressing the thumb protector 5, the rotor 31 can be moved within the generator 1. By moving the rotor 31 the kinetic energy of said movement can be transformed into electrical energy as will be explained below.

The portable generator 1 is designed basically as a linear tube and as such a size that it easily fits in a person's hand. It is to be understood that the portable generator 1 can also have another design, i.e. it may have an oval design, as long as it has such a size that it easily fits in a person's hand.

Figures 2A to 2G show a sectional breakdown of the portable generator 1 according to figure 1. Figure 2A depicts the shaft 4 which is fixed with a first end 6 to a body 7, wherein the shaft 4 is partly arranged in the body 7 with its first end 6. On a second end 57 of the shaft 4 the thumb protector 5 is affixed. The shaft 4 comprises two circlips, wherein a first circlip (cannot be seen, as it is covered by the body 7) is provided at the first end 6 of the shaft 4, which is arranged in the body 7, and the second circlip 55. The second circlip 55 is arranged at the second end 57 of the shaft 4 and is provided to hold magnets in place. When the first end 6 of the shaft 4 is attached to a spring element 8 the first circlip is locked into position before permanent magnets 10 to 19 and soft iron spacers 9, 20 to 29 are slid in a specific order along the shaft 4 as indicated in Figure 2B. The permanent magnets 10 to 19 and soft iron spacers 9, 20 to 29 form a magnet setup 56. The magnet setup 56 is hence positioned on the spring element 8. The spring element 8 is preferably a stainless steel compression spring and the magnets 10 to 19 preferably consist of neodymium. It is to be understood that spring element 8 can consist of another element, e.g. a layer comprising an elastomer. The magnet setup 56 starts with the spacer 9 and the magnet 10 with a North pole (N) in touch with the spacer 9. Another spacer 20 is then place on the open South pole (S) end. Another magnet 11 with the South pole is place towards the South pole (S^') of the existing magnet 10. Magnet like forces are then forced towards each other until it clicks together. This changes the magnetic flux direction towards the coils (not shown in figure 2B). A spacer 21 is then placed on the North pole (N^') side of the magnet 11 and another magnet 12 is placed with the North pole (N^”) side of the magnet 11. These magnets 11 , 12 are also forced together. This process is done until the full set of magnets 10 to 19 is used.

At the end a non-magnetic stainless steel tube 30 is slipped over the magnets 10 to 19 and spacers 20 to 29 (figure 2C).

The assembly comprising the shaft 4, the magnets 10 to 19, the spacers 20 to 29 and the tube 30 form the movable rotor 31 of the generator 1. The stainless steel tube 30 is for protection and easy sliding movement of the rotor 31 within the generator 1.

The end of the spring element 8 is tied down to the body 7 once the assembly of the magnets 10 to 19, spacers 20 to 29 and the tube 30 is completed and locked into the designed position on the shaft 4. This prevents the magnets 10 to 19 and spacers 20 to 29 from moving out of position on the shaft 4.

Figure 2D shows a guiding tube 32 slipped onto the tube 30 of stainless steel and thus the movable rotor 31. A plurality of coil bobbins 37 to 40 are attached at an outside 45 of the guiding tube 32, wherein the coil bobbins 37 to 40 are separated by laminated spacers 33 to 36 (figures 2E and 2F). These coil bobbins 37 to 40 are wound with coils of magnetic wire (not shown). The magnetic wire has a determined length and thickness. Preferably, the range is either 12 coils or 15 coils up-scalable as per the voltage output required. It is understood, that the longer the length of wire is the more is the voltage output.

The wires are electrically connected in star three phase for AC output. The laminated spacers 33 to 36 between the coil bobbins 37 to 40 enhance the magnet thrust direction. The guiding tube 32, the coil bobbins 37 to 40 with the magnetic wire and the laminated spacers 33 to 36 form a stator 41. Three coils are equivalent / proportional to two permanent magnets in length.

Lastly, the protective housing 2 for regulating the output voltage and to electrically protect the safety of people and the electronic devices to be charged is provided (figure 2 G). The protective housing 2 also comprises a charging point (not shown). The charging point comprises at least one plug, in which an external electrical device can be plugged so that at least one electrical device can be charged at the same time. Preferably, the housing 2 comprises one or two plugs.

Figure 3 shows a cross section A-A through the portable generator 1 depict in figure 1. It can be seen the shaft 4, the magnet 19 and the tube 30. Between the tube 30 and the guiding tube 32 a space 43 is provided, so that the rotor 31 can be easily moved within the guiding tube 32. A coil bobbin 44 is attached to the guiding tube 32.

This assembly is encompassed by the protective housing 2.

Figure 4A to 4D depict a view of the rotor 31 and stator 41 without the protective housing. Figures 4A to 4D show the extended spring element 8 in the normal position (figure 4A) to the fully compressed position (figure 4D) which is then spring loaded for easy release. To compress the spring element 8, a person has to press the thumb protector 5 downwards, i.e. in the direction of an arrow 45. The magnets poles of the permanent magnets 10 to 19 thereby interchange with the movement over the coils 37 to 40 thus creating a North pole from the magnet flux in the normal position and a South pole flux in the compressed position. For clarity purpose only in figure 4A the permanent magnets and the coils contain reference numbers. After releasing the spring loaded the spring element 8 moves back (arrow 58) into the normal position as shown in figure 4D.

Figure 5 shows the coils 37 to 40 being connected as a three-phase AC output 46 to a first end 47 and as a star connection 48 to a second end 49 of the guiding tube 32 of the generator 1. This three-phase AC output 46 comprises a first phase 50, a second phase 51 and a third phase 52. It is favourable that for every three coils 37 to 40 there are three permanent magnets (cannot be seen in this figure) in alignment. Each coil 37 to 40 with the interaction of the magnetic flux produces a sine wave with the movement (cf. arrow 45 in figures 4A to 4D) of the magnets. In a three-phase power generating system, three conductors each carry an alternating current of the same frequency and voltage amplitude relative to a common reference but with a phase difference of one third of a cycle between each (120°, 240°, 360°). The common reference is connected to ground, i.e. to the star connection 48. Due to the phase difference, the voltage on any conductor reaches its peak at one third of a cycle after one of the other conductors and one third of a cycle before the remaining conductor. This phase delay gives constant power transfer to a balanced linear load. It is to be understood that the three- phase AC output 46 can also be arranges at the second end 49 and the star connection 48 at the first end 47 of the guiding tube 32.

As a three-phase AC output is well known to a person skilled in the art, such a three-phase AC output is not explained in more detail.

The emerging magnet wires form pairs for each phase 50, 51 , 52. As can be seen in figure 5 the wires 66, 67 are for the phase 50, the wires 68, 69 for the phase 51 and wires 70, 71 for the phase 52. These wires 66 to 71 are connected to an electronic component which is provided in the body 7 (see figure 2A) and which changes and regulates the power to protect the external electronic devices that use DC voltage from their batteries or capacitors. This will be designed as per the Input power management systems required by the electronic devices from the different manufacturers. Cell phones voltages and amperages differ due to their energy management setup and it ranges from 3.5 v to 5.5 v and 0.5 to 2 amps. Each cell phone manufacturer has thereby specific requirements. External electronic devices are not shown in the figures, however.

Figure 6 shows the shaft 4 comprising two circlips 55 and 65 consisting of metal and the thumb protector 5. The circlips 55, 65 are provided to hold the magnets (not shown in Figure 6) in position, preventing them from sliding out of position on the shaft 4 because of the holding force interaction between magnets and the circlips 55, 65 consisting metal. The spring compression distance allows for the pole magnetic direction changes across the coils. For example, in the normal spring position the south pole will be over the first phase and with the spring compression it will be the north pole over the phase.

List of References / Signs

1 Portable generator

2 Protective housing

3 Display

4 Shaft

5 Thumb protector

6 First end of shaft 4

7 Body

8 Spring element

9 Soft iron spacer

10 to 19 Permanent magnets

20 to 29 Soft iron spacers

30 Stainless steel tube

31 Movable rotor

32 Guiding tube

33 to 36 Laminated spacers

37 to 40 Coil bobbins

41 Stator

43 Space

44 Coil bobbin

45 Outside of guiding tube 32

46 Three-phase AC output

47 First end of guiding tube 32

48 Star connection

49 Second end of guiding tube 32

50 to 52 Phases

55 Second circlip

56 Magnet setup

57 Second end of shaft 4

58 to 64 Magnetic wire

65 Circlip

66 to 71 Wires S, S’ South pole N, N', N” North pole

Claims

1. A portable generator (1 ) comprising

- a movable rotor (31 ) comprising a shaft (4) and a plurality of permanent magnets (10 to 19) and spacers (9, 20 to 29) positioned along a longitudinal direction of said shaft (4), wherein the permanent magnets (10 to 19) are separated by spacers, wherein the permanent magnets (10 to 19) and spacers form a magnet setup (56) and wherein the magnet setup (56) is encompassed by a tube (30); and

- a stator (41 ) comprising a guiding tube (32) encompassing the movable rotor (31 ), a plurality of coil bobbins (37 to 40, 44) attached at an outside (45) of the guiding tube (32), wherein the coil bobbins (37 to 40, 44) are separated by laminated spacers (33 to 36) and wherein the coil bobbins (37 to 40, 44) are wound with coils of magnetic wire (58 to 64).

2. A portable generator according to claim 1 , characterised, in that a space is provided between the stator (41 ) and the rotor (31 ).

3. A portable generator according to claim 1 , characterised, in that the shaft (4) is fixed with a first end (6) to a body (7), the shaft (4) comprising a first circlip (65) at said first end (6), wherein one end of a compressible spring element (8) is tied down to the body (7) and is locked into place with the first circlip (65) once the magnet setup (56) is placed onto the shaft (4) so that the compressible spring element (8) is arranged between the magnet setup (56) and the body (7).

4. A portable generator according to claim 1 , characterised, in that the shaft (4) comprises a second end (57) to which a thumb protector (5) is attached.

5. A portable generator according to claim 1 , characterised, in that the coils of magnetic wire (58 to 64) wound with are connected as a three- phase AC output (46) to a fist end (47) and a star connection (48) to a second end (49) of the guiding tube (32).

6. A portable generator according to claim 3, characterised, in that a protective housing (2) is provided which encompasses the stator (41 ), the rotor (31 ) and the body (7), whereby the protective housing (2) comprises at least one plug in which an external electrical device can be plugged.

7. A portable generator according to claim 3, characterised, in that an electronic component which is provided in the body (7) of the generator (1 ) is provided to keep the desired output constant and to not damage the external electronic devices which are to be loaded by the generator (1 ).